Why Fred
by N Tonks Fan
Summary: How was George meant to continue without his other half? Could life ever be the same again? The story of poor George from the moment that he lost his dear brother Fred and onwards
1. Chapter 1

_So this takes place at the battle of Hogwarts and afterwards. It's all about George losing his dear brother. I know a lot of people have written stories like these but I really wanted to do one for myself. I started this years and years ago when my grandpa passed away because I thought what better time to write a story about poor Freddy than now when I was hurting myself. That was a long time ago now but I lost my gran this year so it reminded me that I still had to finish writing this. I hope you enjoy it. _

George Weasley ducked as a stunning spell shot by him. He was standing in the wreckage of a corridor, looking around he saw Bill battling with a masked death eater. Apart from them the corridor was deserted. Bill gave a triumphant cry as the death eater fell to the ground.

"Lets go find the others," he said quickly.

They began scrambling over the rubble desperate for news on their family.

"There's dad!" George shouted.

Relief filled his body. He just hoped that the rest of the family were all right too.

Mr Weasley was half way up the staircase. He skidded to a halt beside them panting. A deep cut bled openly in his cheek and his robes were torn. George suspected that he himself looked much the same as his father.

"Boys are you ok?" Mr Weasley asked.

"We're fine dad," Bill replied reassuringly.

"How about you dad?" George asked. "And the others."

Mr Weasley shook his head.

"We got separated. I don't know where they are now. I think Percy and Fred are together though."

George's heart stopped.

"They'll be fine," Bill said uncertainly. "All of them."

George wished he could believe them. Already tonight he had seen too many people he knew killed.

The three of them began running back down the stairs to where most of the battle had moved to. George spotted Percy and raced over to him.

He was glad to see that another family member seemed to be unharmed apart from a slight nose bleed.

"Perce where's Fred? Dad seems to think he was with you."

Percy turned pale.

"George watch out!" Mr Weasley bellowed as a killing curse flew close to his right shoulder.

Whirling around he saw his father and Bill in a ferocious battle with Dolohov.

Percy dragged George behind a statue and out of the way.

"George he's - he's…" Percy was overcome with tears and could not continue.

George's heart stopped. No. he couldn't be. Not dead. Fred wouldn't do that to him. He wouldn't leave him.

"He's dead," Percy sobbed.

"You're lying!" George snapped. "He can't be…"

Percy grabbed him fiercely in a hug.

George's face crumpled. Tears began pouring down his face. The longer Percy held him the more he cried.

In the distance he was aware of a loud voice speaking but he paid no attention. What did anything matter now? Who cared if Voldemort won or not?

"George!" Mr Weasley shook him by the shoulder.

George looked up at his dad through his tears.

"What's the matter? Are you hurt?"

George shook his head.

"Then what?" Mr Weasley asked, his voice full of concern.

"It's Fred," Percy gulped. "We were fighting together, Ron, Harry and Hermione were there too. There was an explosion. I'm not really sure what happened but he's d'dead…"

Mr Weasley's expression went from one of shock to pain.

"No…" he whispered faintly.

His wand clattered to the floor.

"No…" he repeated.

George looked at him in alarm. He had never seen his father like this before. He looked so vulnerable, like a lost child.

Bills eyes glazed over.

"Where is he?" he asked Percy.

"I'll show you."

George jumped to his feet to follow them but Mr Weasley grabbed him.

"Let them go," he said quietly. "We'll go and find the rest. I suspect they have gathered in the Great Hall."

"What about the battle?" George asked, not that he particularly cared.

"Didn't you hear You Know Who?" Mr Weasley asked his son. "He spoke to all of the castle. He's called off the fight for an hour. All he wants is Harry if he doesn't hand himself in then the battle will start once more."

George didn't care about any of that stuff. Nothing was as important as Fred was right now.

They entered the Great Hall together and headed towards the rest of the Weasleys who were sitting together.

George was grateful to see that the rest of the family were fine his mum, Charlie and Ginny. Ron was nowhere in sight but they all knew he was with Harry. Ron was probably in more danger than all of them George thought with a pang. His stomach clenched in tight knots as he prayed that Ron was safe. He had already lost one family member tonight, he was not going to lose another.

Mrs Weasley hugged him.

"Where's Fred and the others?" she asked.

George shook his head.

He was not going to be the one to tell his mother the news. Not when he was still going over it all in his head. He couldn't bear to say the words out loud it would be like admitting that he really was gone.

Mr Weasley cleared his throat.

"Molly dear he's -"

Mrs Weasley let out an agonised shriek.

George turned to see where she was looking and saw Percy and Bill making their way towards them carrying Fred's lifeless body. They placed the body on table where Mrs Weasley wrapped her arms around him, sobbing into his chest.

Seeing his mother break down was enough to start George crying again. Beside him Ginny started shedding tears.

George's legs turned to jelly and he was forced to sit down on the bench. Charlie placed a supporting hand on his shoulder but he shrugged it off. He couldn't bear to have anyone touch him. He covered his hands with his face so he would not have to gaze upon his brother's lifeless figure.

"Oh Fred," he heard his mother moan. "Why did they have to take my Fred."

He looked up to see her rocking back and forwards still holding on to her son. Mr Weasley's eyes were red although he was no longer crying. Bill and Charlie were holding on to each other, silent tears running down their faces. Percy and Ginny were supporting each other both sobbing openly.

George could not take it any longer. He got up and ran out of the hall, through the entrance hall and up the grand staircase half blinded by his tears. He did not know where he was going nor did he remotely care.

After a while he stopped and found himself outside the room of requirement. He entered to find it completely deserted. There was a soft arm armchair which he sank in to. On a table next to the chair sat a box of tissues and a blanket. He wrapped the blanket around him for comfort and blew his nose loudly. He took a gulp of air and attempted to stop his tears but as soon as he was close to stopping a picture of Fred would swim into his mind and he would start all over again.

This was the first family death George had experienced. His grandparents had died when he was just a baby. There had been his uncle too but he had hardly known him.

He wondered how he would be able to continue without Fred. He and Fred had been together all their lives. Never once had they been separated. They did everything together. A life without Fred was no life at all.

He sat in the room for a while longer before deciding to go back and join his family. They were the only ones who were going through what he was although none of them could imagine what he was going through. No one else in the world could ever get close to feeling what he was unless they too had a twin and even then, their twin wasn't Fred.

George walked back through the blur of faces in the Great Hall. The only face that was clear to him was that of Fred's. The family had formed a protective circle around the body. George pushed through them and sat down next to his brother.

He picked up one of his cold hands and held it in his own.

"Why Fred?" he asked in a pained voice. "Why did you have to leave us?" he choked.

His feelings slowly changed to anger.

He grabbed Fred by the collar.

"Why did you have to do this to me!" he howled. "Why did you have to die! I'll never forgive you for this. I hate you! I ha… I h…"

George broke down completely and sobbed into his twins robes.

He clutched Fred tightly. He felt an arm try to pull him away but he resisted.

"I'm sorry Fred," he wept. "I didn't mean it. I don't hate you."

"George? Let him go. Come on. We have to get ready the hour is nearly up," Mr Weasley said shakily.

"No!" George bellowed. "I don't care if the hour's nearly up. What does it matter to me?"

"The battle is about to start again," Charlie said. "You can't stay in here. You don't want to end up the same as Fred do you?"

"Maybe I do want to end up like him. It would be a lot easier," George screamed.

"You don't mean that," Bill said quietly.

"How do you know I don't?" George snapped.

"George?" Ginny's voice wavered. "Please. Come and fight for F-Fred's sake. Make him proud. Make sure he didn't give his life for nothing."

George looked up at his little sister. She had grown up so much in the past few years. He thought about her words. Revenge. That's what he would get. He would go out and avenge Fred's death.

He stood up suddenly and whipped out his wand. Anger swelled up inside him. He was going to make the death eaters pay.

"I'm going to kill them," George said fiercely. Every last one of them."

"Now George!" Mrs Weasley said, her voice full of alarm. "I don't think that's quite what Ginny was meaning."

"Don't be stupid George," Charlie said. "Killing them isn't going to bring Fred back."

George ignored them all. He had made his mind up. He was going out for revenge.

"Fred wouldn't want you to be a murdered would he?" Mr Weasley asked tentatively.

George hesitated. No of course he wouldn't he thought to himself. But that didn't mean he was not going to do it. Fred was no longer here. It was nothing to do with him what George chose to do.

"Think about it for a moment George. You're not a killer," Percy said seriously. "If you kill someone now you'll spend the rest of your life in regret. You won't be able to undo it once it's done."

George's hand shook slightly. Slowly he lowered his wand.

"Fine," he muttered. "If I was to kill it would make me just as bad as them. I don't want to be anything like them…"

He looked down at Fred's pale face. Despite how angry he was he had had no intention of ever killing. He wasn't that kind of person. He wanted to make You Knows side pay. Wanted to make them suffer the way he George was suffering now. The tears began spilling out from his eyes again. He clutched Fred's hand once more and droned out all the sounds around him. All he could focus on was the body of his dead brother. Despite having the rest of his family around him he had never felt more alone. He couldn't bear the thought of never seeing his brother again. Not able to talk and laugh together, joke with one another and think up pranks to play. No more playing Quidditch together or working in the shop. A sob caught in George's throat. He had completely forgotten about the shop. The two had worked so hard to set it up and keep it running. They had put their lives and souls into it. What would happen to it now? George wondered. He did not think he would be able to run it alone not without his partner Fred. It was their own creation the two of them together. How could he face working in there being reminded of Fred all of the time.

"George come on!" someone was tugging on his arm. "Didn't you hear?"

He looked up to see his father a look of panic on his face.

"You Know just announced Harry's dead. We have to go outside come on!"

"I want to stay with Fred," George said stubbornly. "I'm not leaving him!"

He felt protective over his brother's body. He would sit here and shield him from any harm. He felt he owed it to him.

Three pairs of arms tugged him gently away and began leading him into the crowd heading for the grounds.

"Let me go," George struggled with them. "I want to be with Fred!"

"What happened to going out and fighting to make Fred proud?" Bill asked.

"I -" George faltered.

He was torn between sticking with Fred and going out and joining the battle. He was a confused mix of shock, sadness and anger but which one was he going to let consume him?

Finally he stopped struggling and let them lead him away, his desire for revenge was returning.


	2. Chapter 2

George felt like he was on fire. He had always been adequate at dueling but he had moved up to a whole new level. His wand was a blur as he threw spell after spell at his enemies. He was fighting for the two of them, for himself and Fred. He let out a triumphant cry every time his spells hit their target. There would be no one left on You Know's side at the rate he was going at. He was so engrossed in the fighting that he failed to notice the emptying of the corridor he was in. Not until he had stunned his final opponent did he turn to greet the next one and find himself alone. Was it over? Had Voldemort won and his followers flocked to join him or had he lost and they had fled. A small part of him was finding it hard to care either way. Contemplating the rest of his life without Fred was unbearable enough so what did it matter whether it was a free world or one under the rule of Voldemort.

Slowly he made his way back towards the Great Hall. Before he reached it however Mrs Weasley came running towards him, anguish in her face.

"Oh George, you're safe!" She engulfed him in a hug. "We won George, we won! Wouldn't Fred be so proud?"

He wrenched away from her feeling a stab of guilt at the hurt on her face. He couldn't leave during the battle but now that it was over he had to get out of there. Hogwarts, one of his favourite places in the world would be for ever known now as the place of Fred's demise.

Before Mrs Weasley could say anything else George spun around and ran. He kept on running all the way to the main gates, ignoring the sharp pain in his side. He stopped when he was through the gates and bent over panting. He knew he wanted to get out of there but where to? The only places that he felt comfortable with he could no longer face. The Knight Bus suddenly came to mind but had it still been running since Voldemorts return? As if in answer there was a popping noise and the magnificent bus appeared. George pushed rudely past the conductor and on to the bus. It was unsurprisingly empty with everyone either in hiding or at the battle. He threw his bag of money at the conductor.

"Just drive around, I don't care where but don't pick up any other passengers and please don't talk to me."

With that he ascended the stairs to the top floor and took a seat at the very back. The bus had taken off and was whizzing through a country lane.

….

George came to with a start. He must have dozed off but had no idea of the time span that had lapsed. The bus was stationary. He could hear the sound of heavy feet coming up the stairs. His instinct was to dive under the chairs infront of him but before he had time to move Mr Weasley appeared at the top of the stairs. He said nothing, just silently took the chair next to George's. The bus took off again, this time zig zagging through a busy city.

George was glad for the lack of conversation. Minutes passed and he began to wonder how long his father was able to sit there without talking.

As the time lengthened he realised that Mr Weasley was waiting for him to make the first move.

"Where is everyone?" he finally croaked.

"Back home," Mr Weasley replied sadly. "We were all out looking for you all night."

"Oh…" George mumbled. "I wasn't aware that I'd been away for that long."

"We understand," Mr Weasley told him gently. "You've had your alone time but now it's time to come back to your family."

George shook his head violently.

"Please," Mr Weasley pleaded. "We all need to stick together right now. We need each other. Your mother especially, needs you right now."

More guilt flooded through George as he remembered the way he had ran out on his mother. He eventually gave a small nod of consent.

…..

They stepped off the Knight Bus hand in hand. At the sight of his family home George let out a whimper. Memories of all the fun he and Fred had had growing up here came flooding back to him. As they made their way slowly towards the door he kept expecting to see Fred coming skipping out towards them. He paused on the threshold of the door and gripped his fathers hand tighter in his. Mr Weasley gave a reassuring nod and led the way inside.

As soon as he entered the kitchen there was a scream of hysteria and Mrs Weasley threw her arms around him. He stood numb in her arms looking out at the ashen faces of his brothers and sister. He could see the looks of shock registering in their faces as they looked at him. They were comparing him to Fred, they were identical after all. It had never even occurred to him the difficulty seeing his face would bring to the rest of his family. They would never be able to lay eyes on him again without thinking of Fred. With this thought he took off again. He raced up the staircase and barged into his old room.

It wasn't until he was in the room and looked around at the few belongings he and Fred had left behind after moving out that the tears started again. Huge raking sobs overwhelmed him as he dropped to the floor. He thought of all the plans that he and Fred had made for the future – expansions of the business, touring the world and so much more, realising that this would no longer happen.

Regret started to course through his body. All of the things that he should have said to Fred when he had the chance like how much he loved him, time spent apart that should have been together, getting separated at the battle.

The sobs eventually died down, he was grateful that his family had chosen to respect his privacy. He was left with a dull aching feeling. It had been days since he had eaten but of what importance was that now? How important was anything now? How was he meant to continue on with mundane tasks like eating and washing with Fred not around?


End file.
